AOL PC Protection Suite Enters Beta
AOL on Monday rolled out a beta release of its new PC protection suite dubbed Total Care, which is designed to compete with upcoming offerings from McAfee and Symantec, as well as Windows Live OneCare.
Like other all-in-one solutions, Total Care includes an array of utilities. On the security side, antivirus and anti-spyware protection keeps malware off a system, while a firewall blocks network-borne threats. AOL has tapped McAfee to provide the engine for these capabilities.
File backup services in Total Care will be powered by FarSone's RestoreIt software. The software can backup to CDs and DVDs, external hard drives, and eventually to an online service -- potentially AOL's Xdrive. Users can create restore points that let them "roll back" their PC to a working state if something goes wrong.
Like Microsoft's Windows Live OneCare, PC health and tune-up tools will also be included in Total Care. Technology provided by Iolo will help a user remove junk files, repair the registry, increase startup speed, and defragment their hard drive.
AOL is additionally planning to offer what it calls "a ladder of support options." Users can start with online resources to help them with PC problems, and then chat online with a technician if they cannot find the answer. Phone support will be the next step, with the representative able to remotely access a PC to fix an issue.
If all else fails, AOL has partnered with Gurus2Go to send an actually technician to a customer's home. AOL has not yet decided on pricing for its support options, but the in-home visit will likely have an additional fee attached.
The Total Care beta is currently only available to AOL members at beta.aol.com, and will be a paid service for both members and non-members upon its final launch. AOL subscribers will likely be able to sign up for Total Care at a lower cost as a premium add-on to their account.
AOL already has two additional features planned for the final launch: anti-phishing and identity theft protections.
Company spokesperson Andrew Weinstein told BetaNews that four key elements will set Total Care apart from its more entrenched competitors: online file backup, phishing and ID theft protections, and AOL's ladder of support options. No marketing plans have been announced, but AOL intends Total Care for a wide audience of consumers.
"Clearly AOL has a very strong brand in the security space, and we want to take advantage of it," Weinstein said.